"Is he really dead?" Said one voice.

"No, he collapsed from exhaustion" replied the other voice.

"Be quiet you two, look! He's waking up" Said the male voice.

Timaeus groaned as he sat up, he opens his eyes halfway and his vision is slightly blurred and yet he made out few figures he knew. "Balbant.... everyone...." he croaked, his vision cleared and sees balbant, oongard, and the slaves "thought you died in the taphus" said one slave. "W-where am i?" Asked timaeus "you're back in the palace slave quarters" replied oongard as he hands him a ceramic cup of water, Timaeus sips from the cup but some thing clicked his mind and said "the taphus! Is it still-" he was cut off "No longer operational, all thanks to you. Balbant reported this to me and the queen" said oongard. "The queen is waiting for you" said the female slave "of course" replied Timaeus as he got off his bed and walks out of the slave quarters, after walking up 2 floors, he made it to the throne room. He sees the queen sitting on her throne with a smile, accompanying her is the handmaidens. "we've been waiting for you" said queen patra as she watches as he bows to her "the fire taphus is no longer operational" said Timaeus "I've heard, and I thanked for you.... all of Egypt thanks you" said queen patra. She got off her throne, Timaeus looks at her as she hands him a scroll "here, this is the permit that shows that you are no longer a slave" she said. Timaeus smiled and said "finally, freedom.... I cannot wait to go back to Greece to corinth" but the queens smile dropped as she shows worry "I'm sorry, but you can't go home" she said "What do you mean I can't go home?" Said Timaeus.

Queen patra sit on her throne slowly shakes her head "I've received news from Sparta that the earth taphus near Corinth has exploded thus taking the whole town with it.... I am sorry" she replied, Timaeus started to cry at the loss of his home "this cannot be! *sob* mother, father.... they're waiting for me and yet the earth taphus is destroyed along with corinth!" He cried as he fell to his knees. Queen patra bends down and comforts him, he looks at her while tears running down his cheeks "I'm sorry your majesty *sob* but thank you... thank you for treating me with respect" he said. Queen patra brushed his tears from his cheeks "I knew you were special since we first met at the slave market, I've let you do the cleaning and tending to my garden" she said, both stood back up and Timaeus slowly stop crying "I... I love you" he said but the queens eyes widen with surprised "you... love me?" She said while her handmaidens giggled.

"How amusing, a lowly slave in love with the queen!" Snickered one handmaiden.

"He's not even from Egypt! No way is he gonna marry her because of the rules!" Laughed the other hand maiden.

Queen patra glared at her handmaidens until they stopped giggling at the sight of her glare. She looks at Timaeus and said "nobody ever told me they loved me, I've spent the rest of my childhood in the palace with no one to talk to but balbant and my servants. By the time when I turned teenager, I couldn't feel any love for any suitors but I deeply cared for all of egypt" Timaeus hugs her gently thus easing her worries and depression but the guards grabbed him and said "No one touches the queen!".  "Its alright, he isn't causing me harm" she said, Timaeus gives her a gentle smile thus telling her that he truly does love her. After that, he got back to the slave quarters and starting packing his things "so you're leaving?" Said balbant "I loved queen patra but I have to go back to Greece to investigate on who this general agon and what's he after" said Timaeus. Balbant sighed "just be careful and  make sure that when you get back here in thebes, just give her joy" he said, Timaeus nodded and leave out the slave quarters and left the palace to journey back to Greece and figure out who is this general agon and what's he after.

Authors note- this is the end of Egypt arc, be sure to vote